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The Titans need a pass-rusher and a center. In a year they could really need a free safety. The right kind of receiver would be intriguing.

One spot we’ve not talked much about is linebacker. They spent a second-rounder on strongside linebacker Akeem Ayers last year, when they also found a dynamic middle linebacker in fourth-rounder Colin McCarthy.

Veteran Will Witherspoon is on the weak side. He has some big games, and some where he seems kind of invisible. The team can find a bigger guy who’s more of a playmaker for the spot, be it now or in 2013.

The depth is poor. Gerald McRath was a starter in 2010 and didn’t take advantage of the chance. He was only occasionally situational last season. Patrick Bailey and Tim Shaw can fill in for a bit, but they are primarily special-teamers.

I don’t think Tennessee will go linebacker at No. 20, but Alabama’s Dont'a Hightower or Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw could be in play.

More likely the Titans will tab someone a bit later like Cal’s Mychal Kendricks or someone further down like Utah State’s Bobby Wagner.

Houston Texans

A pair of free-agent signings last offseason paid off in a big way for Houston's defense in 2011.

Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck is scheduled to have a private workout in front of Colts officials on Tuesday.

Craig Kelley of Colts.com continues the position-by-position breakdown with a look at the specialists.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars defensive end Aaron Kampman is trying to prove his critics wrong once again.

Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union: "Despite enduring a ton of criticism, including fans who lamented the Jaguars not acquiring Tim Tebow recently in a trade to compete for the starting job, [Blaine] Gabbert has conditioned himself to leave the past in the rearview mirror. He refuses to get drawn in to negativity."

Tennessee Titans

Linebacker Tim Shaw isn't a fan of last season's rule change that moved kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35.

Free agent Chris Hope is still waiting for some team to come calling for his services.

Early thoughts on the Titans' players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents come March 13, with thanks to Mac’s Football Blog, where you can find complete team-by-team lists that include exclusive rights and restricted free agents.

The Titans have already re-signed three players who were heading for free agency: tight end Craig Stevens, tackle Mike Otto and receiver Lavelle Hawkins.

Fullback Ahmard Hall -- He’s a great locker room guy, but did not have a great season and the Titans have Quinn Johnson in house.

Wide receiver Donnie Avery -- Couldn’t push his way into action and presuming the team drafts at least one receiver, it should have no interest.

Guard Jake Scott -- Team will say thanks for solid service and look to get younger and better on the interior.

Defensive end Dave Ball -- He’s not the solution, but he’s a quality complementary part who can get into the backfield.

Defensive end William Hayes -- Just hasn’t panned out. The team needs at least one new end and there won’t be room for him any longer.

Defensive lineman Jason Jones -- Was not as good at end in the new defense as he was at tackle in the old one. He can still be a very good player.

Linebacker Barrett Ruud -- Didn’t play well before he was hurt, then got displaced by rookie Colin McCarthy.

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan -- I don’t think the Titans want him at anything near what he’ll be able to command.

Safety Jordan Babineaux -- Played well enough that safety-starved Tennessee should want him back.

Safety Michael Griffin -- Does the best when everything around him is going well. But the price he’ll want gets paid to a leader, not a follower.

Safety Chris Hope -- Made a difference on the field and in the locker room for a long time, but his time is now past.

Other UFAs:

• LB Patrick Bailey
• LB Tim Shaw
• S Anthony Smith
• LS Ken Amato

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

T.J. Yates faced plenty of adversity while at UNC, so psychologically he should be able to handle a lot says Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle. One of his college coaches says he has “uncommon poise.”

The running game needs to be better than it was in Jacksonville, says John McClain of the Chronicle.

Lance Zierlein of chron.com says Atlanta ends John Abraham and Ray Edwards are defending the run well on the perimeter, which could be an issue for the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts

Larry Coyer is out and Mike Murphy is in as defensive coordinator for the Colts, but it’ll be difficult for the team to unleash much of a shakeup in the remaining five games, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Cornerback Jerraud Powers relishes the chance to cover Wes Welker of the Patriots today, says Chappell.

Six things to watch for in Colts-Patriots from Nate Dunleavy of 18to88.com.

Jacksonville Jaguars

When Shahid Khan first got to the University of Illinois from Pakistan, he signed up for fraternity rush, eager to meet people who weren’t like him in his new home. The man in line to be the second owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars is an adventuresome opportunist, writes Tania Ganguli. That’s why those close to him are certain the team will succeed under his guidance.

With Will Middleton done for the season, the Jaguars have lost their top three outside cornerbacks, says Vito Stellino.

The change at receivers coach was overdue, says Gene Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

David Climer of The Tennessean likes the fact that Mike Munchak doesn’t have an agent. It means when he says he’s not talked to Penn State, it actually holds water. But Climer says Penn State could do far worse, and likely will.

The Titans have been great when they’ve gone for it on fourth down, and their eight conversions in 10 tries have provided a bit of a boost, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Linebacker and special teamer Tim Shaw conducts a video investigation into the Titans’ facial hair for titansonline.com.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans coach Mike Munchak rates as an all-time great at Penn State, where he played on Joe Paterno’s offensive line from 1978-81 and got a business degree.

Munchak is the first Nittany Lion to be an NFL head coach.

Wednesday he talked at length about the scandal rocking State College, Pa., and the college football world, about the man at the center of the scandal, Jerry Sandusky, and about Joe Paterno, who announced he intends to step down after the season.

Highlights of that section of Munchak’s media session.

• “For me this whole thing has been a horrible situation. It’s been a tragedy that something like this can happen. I can’t imagine what the victims and their families have been through.
• “(Paterno) is probably doing what he needs to do. He knows what’s gone on here and I’m assuming he sat back and thought this is what’s best for the university and for him going forward.”
• “It’s the shock of it all. I was there four years, Jerry (Sandusky) was there as a coordinator, and to think that he’s involved in something like this or accused of something like this, it’s very hard to take in.”
• “I haven’t been back to Penn State that much over the years because of playing football and coaching it. I wasn’t close with Jerry by any means, but I was there with him for four years and knew a lot about him. I never spent a whole lot of time with him.”
• “(Paterno) is ultimately responsible for anything that happens while he’s the head coach there, and so he knows he has a lot of responsibility in this.”
• “I think I speak for everyone that’s gone there. (Paterno) was a great coach to be around. I know the players were very important to him, not just as football players but as people, he made that very clear. I thought the way he handled the team, the way he motivated the team, the stories he told us, it was more about life, not just football. He really cared, was concerned for what you did after football. The school thing was legitimate, he did want guys to graduate. All the things you heard about him were exactly true. I don’t think that’ll change for anybody… That university wouldn’t be what it is today without him. Unfortunately right now it’s not something you’re going to dwell on. People realize that… the question is, how did all this happen?”
• “It’s heartbreaking for me. We get caught up in the football. It’s the kids and the families that went through this.”
• “(Paterno) is like anybody else, he’s going to make some mistakes. I don’t know what kind of mistakes he made in all this, I’m not going to judge him -- at all. I don’t think it’s smart to judge anybody, especially when you don’t know exactly what went on and what he was told and all the details of this thing. I just go on my experiences with him. I’ve made a lot of mistakes myself, so, no, it won’t change how I feel about him, my relationship with him, what he’s done for me and my career as a player. Those kinds of things will always stay the same. Yeah, it’s going to be a black eye for a while for Penn State University, but the university will go on and recover from this.”

Munchak also said, isolating football from the rest, he thinks it’s OK that Paterno finish the season as coach.

Titans special teamer and linebacker Tim Shaw, who played at Penn State, said in his experience Sandusky's "Second Mile" organization was "a big, big positive spot in Central Pennsylvania."

Shaw urged people to let justice run it's course as things are sorted out.

"Let's handle it the right way because we're coming at somebody who didn't do it the right way," he said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans certainly got some good out of a two-hour, player organized practice session that included more than 50 participants on Wednesday morning at Father Ryan High School.

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan and guard Jake Scott deserve credit for getting so many players out.

Of note:

• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comOffensive linemen Eugene Amano, left, and Jake Scott work against each other.
  Running back Chris Johnson was part of things. He said his contract isn’t on his mind right now and declared that he expects rookie quarterback Jake Locker to start right out of the gate. Here’s the news story.
• Locker had some nice moments and some that were not so good. About what you’d expect. He certainly threw the ball better than Brett Ratliff. And he didn’t go the Joe Cool route like Ratliff and Rusty Smith, who practiced in sunglasses.
• The host school’s football staff ran the individual position drills, which had to be a cool thing for most of them. From the stretch through some team work, players seemed to strike just the right measure of laughs with work.
• Safety Michael Griffin said the defense just worked through basic coverages. Players expect the new defense, coordinated by Jerry Gray will touch on them all. They thought running through basics rather than trying to learn and execute anything new was the smart approach.
• Among the notables under contract who were missing -- and let’s be clear they didn’t have to be there and could have had very legitimate reasons for not making it -- were Michael Roos, David Stewart, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins, Alterraun Verner, William Hayes and Brett Kern. Justin Gage was a late arrival and just watched.
• Without their own receivers, the Titans benefited from the presence of three quality outsiders: Derrick Mason of the Ravens, Golden Tate of the Seahawks and Patrick Turner of the Jets. Mason started his career with Tennessee and still has an area home while Tate and Turner are both from Nashville. Tate went to Father Ryan arch rival Pope John Paul II, and wore his purple Ryan shirt inside out.
• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comLinebacker Gerald McRath coaches up second-round pick Akeem Ayers.
  Several players who are not under contract for 2011 participated: defensive end Dave Ball, guard Leroy Harris, linebacker Tim Shaw and safety Donnie Nickey. Nickey had a big, early collision in seven-on-seven work with Marc Mariani as both went up for a pass from Ratliff that put the receiver at risk. It was the only obvious injury scare of the day. Both bounced up.
• Plays of note: Mariani dropped a well-thrown deep ball from Locker after slipping behind multiple defenders. Corner Jason McCourty dropped a pick of a pass that bounced off Jared Cook; Ratliff threw an incredibly bad, incomplete pass down the deep middle, a duck that wobbled more than a lot of punts do.
• Among the guys I saw doing a great deal of leading of young guys were Scott, Ball, defensive back Vincent Fuller and linebacker Gerald McRath.
• The Titans will have another session Thursday.

The Titans and Texans have doled out their tenders offers to players who could wind up restricted free agents.

But if a new CBA reverts to a formula in which players with at least four years of service and an expired contract are unresticted free agents, only four of 13 contract offers made by the two teams will wind up having any meaning.

Mark Berman says Houston didn't tender linebacker Zac Diles and strong safety Bernard Pollard. That means even in a scenario most favorable to the team in which it could maintain control over their fates, the Texans don't want them.

So Houston doesn't view Diles as a fit in its new 3-4 front and will be looking for two new safeties -- it recently cut incumbent free safety Eugene Wilson.

Among the tenders that would stick in even the players' best-case scenarios, leaving them restricted: Houston guard Mike Brisiel, Titans linebackers Patrick Bailey and Tim Shaw and Titans tackle Mike Otto.

Other Texans tendered who are likely to wind up unrestricted based on service time: tight end Owen Daniels, quarterback Matt Leinart, defensive end Mark Anderson, offensive tackle Rashad Butler and receiver Jacoby Jones. Along with Pollard and Diles, the Texans didn't tender offensive lineman Kasey Studdard or defensive end Tim Bulman.

Other Titans tendered who are likely to wind up unrestricted based on service time: Linebacker Stephen Tulloch, fullback Ahmard Hall, defensive end Jacob Ford and guard Leroy Harris.

John Glennon reports the Titans passed on tendering linebacker Colin Allred, a played they could have held onto.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

We’re going to be rebellious here and go with three moments instead of one, because they are easily grouped.

The Titans were super-aggressive on fourth down early in their 31-17 win over the Texans at LP Field on Sunday.

They converted a fourth-and-8 from the Houston 49 on the first possession of the game, with Kerry Collins hitting Damian Williams up the left side for a 39-yard gain.

They stuffed Arian Foster for a 4-yard loss when the Texans went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 35 on their first possession. Linebacker Tim Shaw stuffed Foster and set the Titans up for a second quick scoring drive.

Then, the Titans converted a fourth-and-1 from the Houston 1 as Collins hit Justin Gage on a fade for a touchdown. With just 8:22 gone in the game, the Titans were up 14-0 and on their way.

“We felt good about what we had, and as I said after the game, we felt good about being able to anticipate some things that we might get and attack them,” Jeff Fisher said. “We predicted and guessed right and it helps that we were able to execute.”

Reading the coverage ...

Don Banks has an assessment of the current playoff picture.

Jeff Pearlman picks his worst 100 NFL players of all time.

Houston Texans

The offense is having trouble producing a 60-minute effort, says John McClain.

Of the 11 significant defensive statistics, the Texans are ranked 28th or worse in eight, says McClain.

Gary Kubiak’s task this week is to get the Texans thinking differently, says Richard Justice.

David Anderson may rename his dog.

A look at how bad the Texans’ defense is, from Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

Injured players are expected to tough it out, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Mixing and matching linebackers is working for the Colts, says Phil Richards.

Mike Chappell thinks Austin Collie, when healthy, should be ahead of Pierre Garcon. I agree.

Indianapolis overcomes adversity through consistency, says John Czarnecki.

The Colts are in remarkably good shape considering their circumstances, says John Oehser.

Nate Dunlevy considers just how bad a season Garcon is having.

Delving into holding calls with Brett Mock.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The ticket office is working to avoid a blackout of Sunday’s game against Cleveland, says Vito Stellino.

Is David Garrard ready to stay at a high level, asks Gene Frenette.

The Hail Mary excitement spilled into Tuesday, says Stellino.

The pass rush sagged some against the Texans, says Tania Ganguli.

There’s not going to be a pass interference call on a Hail Mary, says Vic Ketchman.

Richard Collier plans on walking again, says Jim Henry. (Hat tip to Matt Loede.)

Tennessee Titans

Now is the time for Vince Young to show he’s the present and the future for the Titans, says David Climer.

Five things John Glennon knows about the Titans.

Patrick Bailey and Tom Shaw have done what the Titans expected on special teams, says David Boclair.

Jason Babin and Cortland Finnegan make Brian DiTullio’s list of the league’s 25 dirtiest players.

Our 10-point bye report on the Tennessee Titans:

Major issue: Chris Johnson’s totals are still fine, but coach Jeff Fisher pointed at the run game as a major issue heading into the team’s week off. Johnson is averaging just 3.2 yards a carry in the past two games and the yet Titans say there is no one issue. They are rotating through different problems -- a missed block, a well-played defensive snap, an incorrect read. They expect Randy Moss to back defenses off and help Johnson’s cause.

Strong seasons: I came into the season believing two veteran players who were first-round picks out of Texas needed to assert themselves for the Titans to contend. Vince Young has missed a game plus almost three quarters, but he’s been efficient and increasingly productive and currently ranks as the league’s highest-rated passer. Free safety Michael Griffin was a distracted guy last year, missing all kind of plays. His head’s on straight and he’s been great.

Close-game conclusions: Tennessee did great work finishing off Philadelphia in the final quarter. But the Titans were in range of Pittsburgh, Denver and San Diego at the end and didn’t really manage to threaten their leads. They probably aren’t going to win all those games, but they need to win more of them.

New contributors: The Titans have gotten nice contributions from veteran additions like defensive end Jason Babin (seven sacks) and Will Witherspoon and from rookies like play-making cornerback Alterraun Verner, steady return man Marc Mariani and receiver Damian Williams, who’s gotten more chances recently.

Line questions: Eugene Amano was moved to center and Leroy Harris inserted at guard on the offensive line heading into the season. Even halfway through the schedule, the line seems a bit unsettled and hasn’t matched last year’s effort in terms of run-blocking or pass protection. Jake Scott, Michael Roos and David Stewart also have not met their standards as the team absorbed 15 sacks in eight games, after yielding that many all of last season.

The big story ahead: Moss will arrive in Tennessee in the coming days and much fanfare will come with him. Players are raving about the move and may well be star struck. But for all the insiders that feel the team doesn’t get enough attention, the spotlight is coming. If a guy plays great or falls flat on his face now, more people will know about it.

Unsung: Linebackers Patrick Bailey and Tim Shaw were late acquisitions brought in to add depth and fill a lot of roles on special teams. The Titans have given up too many kick return yards, but otherwise, special teams have fared pretty well and they’ve helped the cause with a lot of tackles.

APB: Jared Cook needs to force his way onto the field. The tight end is a matchup nightmare, but he has not gained the team’s confidence. He semi-complained about having only a special teams role, then went on to drop a sure touchdown pass in San Diego. He’s only a year and a half into his career, but at this point it’s reasonable to wonder if the trade up to get him in the 2009 draft was worth it.

Backup effectiveness: In a league where plenty of teams have questions about their starting quarterback, the Titans have gotten efficient play from backup Kerry Collins. He’s cleaned up for a banged up Young in three games and started one. He won his start and the Titans are 1-2 in the other games. The team is pleased with his work, some of which he did after tearing up a finger on his throwing hand.

What’s to come: The Titans head to Miami and host Washington before the meat of the division schedule cranks up and they play AFC South foes five of the final six weeks of the season.

Roster and practice-squad news so far Sunday:

Houston Texans

Were awarded linebakcer David Nixon from the Oakland Raiders and cornerback Jamar Wall from the Dallas Cowboys of waivers. Released linebacker Danny Clark.

Indianapolis Colts

Signed quarterback Tom Brandstater, defensive end John Chick, receiver Brandon James, defensive back Mike Newton and receiver Blair White to the practice squad.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Were awarded defensive tackle Landon Cohen off waivers from the Detroit Lions. Released offensive lineman Paul McQuistan.

Signed offensive tackle Daniel Baldridge, tight end Mike Caussin, receiver John Matthews, and defensive tackle Kommonyan Quaye to the practice squad.

Tennessee Titans

Were awarded linebacker Tim Shaw from the Chicago Bears and linebacker Patrick Bailey from the Pittsburgh Steelers off waivers. Released linebackers Stanford Keglar and running back LeGarrette Blount.

Signed defensive lineman Hall Davis, receiver Dominique Edison, cornerback Pete Ittersagen, center Kevin Matthews, safety Myron Rolle and linebacker Patrick Trahan to the practice squad.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Here’s a team-by-team look at what happened on waivers that touched the four teams of the AFC South:

Houston Texans: Claimed defensive back Anthony Smith (Syracuse) from Green Bay, but he was awarded to St. Louis.

Indianapolis Colts: Claimed and were awarded linebacker Glenn Cody (Nebraska) from Washington. To make room for him, waived defensive back Matt Giordano.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Claimed defensive back Anthony Smith (Syracuse) from Green Bay, but he was awarded to St. Louis.

Claimed defensive back Marcus McCauley (Fresno State) from Minnesota, but he was awarded to Detroit.

Waived linebacker Tim Shaw was claimed by Dallas, but Dallas was awarded a different player under the priority claim system.

Waived running back Chauncey Washington was claimed by Dallas, but Dallas was awarded a different player under the priority claim system.

Tennessee Titans: Waived defensive lineman LaJuan Ramsey was claimed by and awarded to St. Louis.

Waived punter A.J. Trapasso was claimed by and awarded to the Jets.

Waived tight end Matthew Mulligan was claimed by and awarded to the Jets.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

The Jaguars cuts, just announced by the team:

Tight end Richard Angulo

Safety Marlon McCree

Running back Alvin Pearman

Offensive lineman Tony Pashos

Linebacker Tim Shaw

Running back Chauncey Washington

Punter Steve Weatherford

Defensive back Brian Williams

Linebacker Thomas Williams

Long snapper Joe Zelenka

Wide receiver Tiquan Underwood

Quarterback Todd Boeckman

Fullback Brock Bolen

Safety Michael Desormeaux

Cornerback Pete Ittersagen

Defensive end Jeremy Navarre

Center Cecil Newton

Wide receiver Todd Peterson

Guard Cameron Stephenson

Running back Josh Vaughan

Linebacker Johnny Williams

The team also placed defensive tackle Rob Meier (shoulder) on injured reserve.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

None of the Jaguars' three starting linebackers will play Thursday night in Philadelphia, as Jack Del Rio negotiates how best to use his people considering this is his team's third game in 11 days.

Justin Durant has a hip flexor and Clint Ingram is recovering from a head injury. Daryl Smith will be rested. Look for Thomas Williams, Brian Iwuh and Tim Shaw to start.

Del Rio is likely to use the preseason finale Sept. 3 against Washington as more of the traditional dress rehearsal game.

"I don't think [the third game is] the same as it has been for us anyway, this year in particular due to our schedule," he said. "I think there's no way in the world that I would treat it that way based on what we're coming out of the last few days and what we're going into. I think we need to share the workload, clearly I've stated it that way, that's what we're going to do. I don't know that you'll get the same, 'Boy, this is a key indicator' type of moment that maybe you do in other camps or preseason work."

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Oklahoma drill is a great thing for the Jaguars.

It creates buzz and anticipation. It's become a tradition. It's something people won't likely see in any similar setting. There are full-speed collisions, popping pads, hoots from the players and fans alike.

That's why practice Wednesday night drew nearly 2,500 people.

But I must admit, for the hype that's built up from a couple of years of hearing about it, it was a bit underwhelming. It wasn't like the scene I was told about when Marcellus Wiley tossed a handful of candy at Mike Williams, then got clobbered by the giant offensive tackle after the stunt.

There were as many draws as wins and it's hard to know for sure what you saw in a very fast couple of seconds, so I'll send you elsewhere to more expert eyes for any sort of scorecard.

Julius Williams toppled Tony Pashos in one crowd-pleaser and linebacker Tim Shaw twice created major thumps against Zach Miller, but I felt like Miller did well enough to allow the running back to get somewhere.

It's very cool that Jack Del Rio does it -- fans, players, staff and media all enjoy it.

But there was plenty more to see as well, so here are some things that struck me:

• In a nine-on-seven run period, Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams were rotating at left guard while Uche Nwaneri manned right guard.
• In a blitz pickup drill, Greg Jones did just that -- he picked up Johnny Williams off ground, then tossed him aside. Williams then tied his shoe.
• Mike Walker looks great and seemed to be the target of the first pass of every team period. Looks solid, shifty, and consistent. The first pass he caught was a touchdown from 21-yards out on which David Garrard got good protection.
• Derek Landri knocked a ball out of Todd Bauman's hand, something that shouldn't be able to happen in a practice.
• Garrard hit Torry Holt at the right sideline near the pylon and he got in, beating Rashean Mathis. Later, during a special-teams period, I watched Holt play catch with a coach, watching the ball in to his hands from about eight yards away at a variety of angles with a wide array of loft or lack thereof.
• In seven-on-sevens, when a quarterback should be close to perfect working against no pass rush, Garrard had one 1-for-3 stretch -- lucky that Mathis didn't pick a pass for Jarett Dillard and throwing a ball away when he could find nothing. A throw away is generally a good thing, but not something that should happen often in that context. Maybe somebody botched a route?
• Garrard saw Nate Hughes pull away from Kennard Cox and Mesphin Forrester, and delivered a bomb for a 60-yard touchdown. When I visited organized team activities, I didn't think Garrard was throwing well deep to the sidelines. This made for twice on the day he had a guy break open and put the ball where he had to, well down the field.